The end of the month has brought about another series of HDFC Bank Credit Card devaluations. The HDFC Infinia Credit Card, which is considered one of the most rewarding credit cards in India, is not even immune to it. HDFC Bank has introduced some new changes for its credit cards, which will start being implemented on 1st September, while some will come into effect on 1st October. These changes, although technically devaluations are not as unexpected as they are industry-wide. Nevertheless, it is a bit of a shock that even Infinia cardholders will face some restrictions and limitations on their credit card rewards earning and redemption.
The following changes are applicable to all HDFC Bank Credit Cards like Regalia and Infinia Credit Cards.
Reward Point Earning Cap
Earning Reward Points for utility, cable, and telecom shall be capped at 2,000 per calendar month.
| Category | Maximum Reward Point Cap Per Month |
| Utility (MCC 4900) | 2,000 |
| Telecom and Cable (MCC 4812, 4814, 4899) |
Reward Point Restricitons on Education Payemnts
Education payments (MCC 8211,8220,8241,8244,8249,8299) made through third-party apps like CRED, CheQ, and Mobikwik shall no longer accrue Reward Points. Education payments made at POS machines or on the school/college website shall continue to earn Reward Points.
Further Restrictions on Infinia
Apart from the Reward Points earning restrictions, the Infinia Credit Card also has restrictions on Reward Point Redemption.
Limit on Redemption for Apple Products and Tanishq Vouchers Via Smartbuy
- Redemption of Reward Points for Apple products shall now be capped at one product each quarter. This shall be effective from 1st October 2024.
- On the HDFC Bank SmartBuy portal, Reward Point redemption for Tanishq vouchers is capped at 50,000 Reward Points per calendar quarter.
Calendar Quarters – April to June, July to September, October to December, and January to March.
Bottom Line
HDFC Bank has now come in with another series of devaluations the previous one bringing around a lot of changes, including revised rental and fuel charges for all its major credit cards. This new round of changes mainly affects Reward Point earning and redemption for all major credit cards, including Tata Neu, Regalia, and Infinia Credit Cards. Further, the previously untouched Infinia Card shall see further changes on RP redemption via the SmartBuy portal.
All of these changes have been updated in the HDFC Bank Credit Card MITC as well.